Holiday Hootennanies with Scarlett and the Fam Damily! Day Two, Part 4, Updated 4/25 About This Page:

[award]

Can't wait to hear about the adventures of the Fam Damily!!! We will miss ya'll by a week or so! Have a great time!

[Disney_Scarlett]

Well, I checked in for our flight this morning, and secured the “A” boarding group for me and my party. Yay! I was so afraid I would forget to check in, as it had not even occurred to me to do so until yesterday. On all my millions of lists, “Check In For Flight” was nowhere to be seen. I had a moment of panic – “If I’ve forgotten about flight check-in, what else will I forget?” Only time will tell, I suppose.

So, I promised I’d post our itinerary, and here it is! I really wish y’all could see my Excel spreadsheet, as it is quite a thing of beauty, with all the pretty colors and everything. Alas, this boring, text version will have to do.

Saturday, December 8:

Leave the house ~8:00 am for airport (45 minutes away). Try not to cry when saying goodbye to Q and the kitties.
Depart RDU Airport at 10:50 am
Arrive in MCO at 12:30 pm.
Take Disney’s Magical Express to Old Key West
Meet Krista and her gang there. They will get there earlier than us. Try to check in at resort. Dump stuff in rooms and grab a quick bite to eat.
I’m off to meet the Crazy Lady Trio for a couple of hours of wacky hijinks.
After posting bail, I'll be joining my Fam-Damily at Downtown Disney for browsing and dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express. Maybe meeting Amy and her family at DTD.

Sunday, December 9:

Morning at Magic Kingdom
Break at Old Key West
Afternoon/Evening at Epcot
5:30 ADR for Le Cellier
8:15 Candlelight Processional
High-tailing it to Pleasure Island to hopefully catch the tail-end of the Adventurer’s Club meet

Monday, December 10:

Morning at Epcot
12:00 noon ADR for San Angel Inn
Break at Old Key West
Evening at Magic Kingdom for Spectromagic, Wishes and a little Extra Magic Hour

Tuesday, December 11:

Sleep in a bit
9:30 am ADR at O’Hana
11:30 Photopass Photo Shoot reservation at Grand Floridian
No other plans for the morning or early afternoon except to check out a few resort’s decorations and a nice break at OKW
Evening: Magic Kingdom
5:30 ADR for Crystal Palace
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

Wednesday, December 12:

Sleep in late
Late Morning and Afternoon: Animal Kingdom (the park is open for EMH until 9:00 pm)
8:00 pm ADR – Boma

Thursday, December 13:

Free Morning – probably go to the Extra Magic Hour at Magic Kingdom for a couple of hours – it was so good last year!
Break and early lunch at Old Key West
Afternoon and Evening: Disney Studios
4:00 pm ADR – Mama Melrose’s
Fantasmic: 6:30, Osbourne Lights until 8:00

Friday, December 14:

Morning at Disney Studios
Break at OKW
Afternoon and Evening at Epcot (World Showcase is open for EMH until 12:00 midnight)
6:30 pm ADR at Coral Reef
Illuminations

Saturday, December 15:

Our flight doesn’t leave until 8:00 pm, so DME won’t be there until around 5:00, I suppose. We have no concrete plans all day, so we’ll just do whatever it is we feel like doing! Might hit up another resort for decorations ooohing and aaaahing. Might go to Downtown Disney for some last-minute shopping. Will definitely make it to one of the parks, just not sure which one yet. I had thought about booking a tour for today – the Yuletide Fantasy one really caught my eye – but never did. I don’t know; I’m really trying not to overbook anyone. We all kind of need a vacation, rest-wise, so I want it to be as relaxing as possible – especially that last day when there is not hotel room to go back and crash at!

Leave OKW ~5:00 pm.
Depart MCO at 8:00 pm.
Arrive at RDU at 9:40 pm.
Go home and greet the animals!

Speaking of the animals, you may be wondering if ours are just fending for themselves for a week. Another lucky break – I convinced a friend (a.k.a. bribed him with free food and a beer-stocked fridge) to stay at our house for the week. We’re so glad because I don’t know if Q could survive a boarder, and the kitties won’t be lonely either. So he’ll be taking on all litter-box-scooping, goat-feeding and dog-walking responsibilities. He’ll also be giving us a ride to the airport…and picking us up. And dropping off my dry cleaning. Did I mention there was beer involved?

Krista and I have been exchanging emails and phone calls re: this trip quite steadily for the last few months. I thought the except from this one was particularly cute, where Krista writes about their excitement back in September:

“I am getting so excited about our trip. TGMike showed that we only have 80 days 'til we are WDW bound! Yippee! I am certain that we "talk Disney" every single day. This morning I was putting Maeve's hair up and she told me that she could hardly wait to hug Mickey's neck; she said, "Do you think Mickey knows that I am his girl? You know, I dressed like Minnie last year so he would remember me?" What a hoot!”

And here’s a section from her latest email to me, from Wednesday:

“The girls and I were skipping across the parking lot into school this morning because we are so giddy with excitement! (Imagine what an idiot I must've looked like to other parents--but, who cares?) Maeve has managed to actually "stay on green" the last two weeks 'cause I warned her that she'd have to stay with Carol while we go to Disney if she acted up at school before the trip. She must really think I am serious because she has been very good at home, too. (Now, that's hardcore parenting! Let's just hope it lasts.)”

For those not familiar with elementary school terminology, “staying on green” means that your contact grade is good, because “your clothespin” hasn’t moved to “yellow” (warning) or even worse, “red” (call to your parents). Maeve sometimes struggles to stay on green. And Carol is Jeff’s mother.

Speaking of the Millers, guess what they did, the stinkers. Bought into the DVC! Back in the summer, they decided to take the “big leap” and bought points at Old Key West via resale. Although this will be their first time staying at OKW, they have taken the DVC tour at least once on previous trips and like the OKW studios because of the two beds, so decided on that as their home resort. I’m so excited for them, and for me too, as I’m hoping that this will end up working to my benefit as well. When Jeff was at our house, he said he was really looking forward to this trip as while they weren’t staying on their points (we went ahead with renting her friends points so they could save theirs), this would be their first trip as members. I’m hoping to soak up some of that feeling just by association.

The last few weeks have been craziness, and I really am not so sure that I’m totally prepared for tomorrow morning. In the “world” of admissions, December 1 is a big deadline, so work has been crazy. Luckily, this week it has slacked off some. I added to my “to-do” list when a deer decided to have an altercation with my car last week (my second this year!). I tried to schedule the repair – which is minor, luckily – to be done while we were on vacay, but I wasn’t able to get an appointment with the service center until January. Top that off with a bout of walking pneumonia a few weeks ago and a severe case of poison ivy that I’m just recovering from (thanks to steroids, which make me have tons of extra energy and eat like a horse – plus for getting the most bang for my buck out of the DDP; minus for having pre-ordered that Photopass CD :P). No matter all these little annoyances and hassles – I’m going to Walt Disney World!

The good thing is, a lot of the “big stuff” is done. I presented my big research project for my graduate level class this past Thursday, which was a relief to check off my list. And of course, all the decorating, shopping and other stuff that goes along with the holidays had to be completed. I tried really hard to get all my Christmas shopping done before our trip, and I have all of it but the giftcards out of the way. :wyatogo: I also wanted to get my Christmas cards out, but that’s not going to happen – they’ll go out on the Monday that we return.

Last night, Mama and I made our final trip to Wal-Mart to pick up those last minute toiletries (why is it that I always run out of conditioner the night before a trip?) and to stock the house with goodies for the house-sitter. Before that, we had dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant with my dad. My dad has just spent the last few weekends building a storage building for me (well, not for ME – for all my stuff that’s been sitting in our barns while I’m living with the ‘rents), and I told him to decide on a nice place for me to take him out to eat as a thank-you. I know a big fat steak hardly repays three Saturdays of labor on a 12’ x 16’ building, but he didn’t exactly charge me by the hour. He tells me last night that instead of going out for dinner around here, he’d rather me take him out for a big breakfast at WDW (he’s really into breakfast on vacations and isn’t crazy about the idea of “grabbing a muffin” for most of the week). Well, we are having breakfast at O’Hana, but it’s part of the dining plan. So now I’ve got to call WDW DINE tonight and see if I can get a ressie for breakfast on our last morning or something.

The best part about yesterday was that when I got home from work (late, of course), I discovered that my mom had done all my laundry. I seriously could have just cried I was so happy! Not only do I hate doing laundry, but I hate it when I have to pack straight out of the dryer. I’m hoping that having all my clothes clean will mean that packing will go very, very smoothly tonight.

Well, y’all – I can’t really think of anything else! Hopefully, I’ll be seeing some of y’all down there. If you see me around the World, please do feel free to come up and say “Hi!” I love meeting Passporters! If something exciting happens between now and tomorrow morning, or if I get online while we’re in WDW, I’ll try to briefly update. Either way, I’ll see everyone back here next Sunday!

Scarlett

[Colexis Mom]

Great plans Scarlett I hope you and the Fam Damily have a fantastic trip

[mestitch]

For those not familiar with elementary school terminology, “staying on green” means that your contact grade is good, because “your clothespin” hasn’t moved to “yellow” (warning) or even worse, “red” (call to your parents). Maeve sometimes struggles to stay on green. And Carol is Jeff’s mother.

Oh verrrrry familiar with that phrase.... We do cards instead of clothespins so I'm used to "You need to go change your card, sadness!"

I hope you have a fabulous trip!!! We'll be at MGM then on to Epcot on the 15th with Angie and the in-laws....maybe we'll see you there!

[disneydani]

Great plans, Scarlett...hope you all have a blast!

danielle

[mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince]

Can't wait to read all about it! Have a great time!

[MickeyMAC]

Have a good time.

[jpod523]

i won't see you down there, but i'll be waiting up here for the TR!!! have a great trip!!

[mcc0313]

Love the PTR......the cast of characters was great....love the "early" photos.

Your ADR's sound delicious......

[DyanKJ130]

Great start, Scarlett!! the photos and your plans look great!! Hope you're having a magical time!!!

[wvugrrrl]

Your TR has had me from start to finish! I can't wait to read more. Have a phenomenal trip, so you can come back and tell us all about it!

[MAria R]

Great pre-trip report. Hope you have a great time down there. Can't wait to hear all about it!

[travismom]

I love reading your TR!! They are so . Looking forward to more!!

[disney_duke]

You are at Magic Kingdom as I type this, and I hope it's all you hoped it would be!! It took me like 4 days to read your preTR as I kept getting interrupted... anyway, it all sounds fantastic, can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

[Jillybean]

Um Scarlett, I think we lead parallel lives. When I read that your mom hates Thank You cards with "Thank you" on the front, I almost fell out of my chair. My mom always swears that she was adopted - - are you sure that your mom doesn't have an older sister named June?

And I don't even know what to think about you meeting up with the Crazy Lady Trio (trademark) - - is Disney really ready for that? I didn't see any news breaks so everything must have been okay.

And one of my all time favorite words is hootenanny -- I do try to use it at least once a week in a sentence -- it just makes me feel better!

I do love your family and the love that you have for them. I simply cannot wait to read about this fam damily trip!

Jill